Hand drawn or painted FDC (first day covers) have been done since the 1940s. Over the past few years I have begun combining my collection of comic character hand drawn sketches with FDCs. This blog is being maintained for the purpose of sharing my collection...

Friday, November 30, 2012

Paris Cullins started his career by sending samples of his work to DC Comics for several years, until they offered him a script to work with 3 years later. His first work was as a penciller-inker on "Mystic Murder" written by Steve Skeates and published by DC in Secrets of Haunted House #42. Cullins would continue his work on House of Mystery, Ghosts, The Unexpected and Weird War Tales during the early part of the 1980s.

Then came Green Lantern with Cullins pencilling an eight-page Tales of the Green Lantern Corps, as a backup story in Green Lantern #154 (July 1982), followed by some work at Harvey Comics drawing Richie Rich and Hot Stuff. After co-pencilling duties with Rich Buckler on Justice League of America, Cullins would create the Blue Devil, with writers Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn, premiering in 1984 as a special insert in Fury of Firestorm #24.

Blue Devil would run for 31 issues... Daniel Patrick Cassidy works as a special effects expert and stuntman, who creates an exoskeleton with built-in special effects. When his co-workers unearth the demon Nebiros, Cassidy fights him off with the help of his exoskeletal suit. Nebiros had blasted Cassidy with mystical energy which has permanently adhered the exoskeleton to his body...

Cullins drew the Blue Devil popping out of the inkwell, just as Koko the Clown did in the early Fleischer cartoons...

Cullins was a guest speaker at the Superheroes for Hospice, speaking on "Realism vs Cartooning" the War Between Comic Art Styles" to an intimate group, discussing the changes in drawing styles over the years from the inception of Superman to today's books. It was a pleasure spending a little time with Cullins, and thanks for supporting the Hospice program...

Friday, November 23, 2012

I had the pleasure of first meeting Joe Sinnott when Matt and I were at Comic Book Marketplace NY, where he graciously signed a book for us. His commission card was full by the time we reached his table. This time, in Albany, I was able to achieve my goal of obtaining a Captain America sketch. I do not have any more Captain America FDCs, so I chose a 13-star envelope to represent the Captain America shield...

I don't often get to watch the artists draw, as I am visiting other artist to obtain sketches, but I stayed and we observed Sinnott work. At 86 his hand is still steady, and the profile view truly shows his skill...

Sinnott started his career after his discharge from the US Navy, serving during World War II, by entering the Cartoonists and Illustrators School (School of Visual Arts). His first professional job was the backup feature Trudi, published by St. John Publications Mopsy #12 (1950). He became an assistant to Tom Gill drawing backgrounds on Western titles for Dell Comics...

His break came when he started at Timely/Atlas Comics (Marvel) when Stan Lee hired him in 1951. Sinnott would provide art for Adventures into Terror, Marvel Tales, Journey into Mystery, Battle Action, navy Combat, Frontier Western, and many others...

After some freelance work for DC, EC, Dell and Charlton comics, Sinnott would ink his first superhero story for Marvel over Jack Kirby's pencils on Fantastic Four #5 (1962). By 1965 Sinnott was back at Marvel full-time inking the X-Men #13 and a long stint on Fantastic Four and some Captain America stories.

Over the years Sinnott would ink the pencils of John Romita, John Buscema, Bill Sienkiewicz, Rich Buckler, George Perez on almost every major Marvel title....

Currently Sinnott is still in inking the daily Amazing Spider-Man Sunday comic strip, which he started in 1992...

Two of the 2007 Marvel stamps issued by the USPS feature the pencils of Jack Kirby and inks of Joe Sinnott, The Thing and Silver Surfer...

Friday, November 16, 2012

When I attended the Albany show, I had
the idea of getting an Uncle Sam sketch. It was after all Veterans
Day and I was coming from Troy, NY (the home of Uncle Sam) after I picked up my eldest son Mike, who attends RPI in Troy, just
across the Hudson from Albany.

When I approached Nikkol Jelenic's table it was not for an Uncle Sam sketch, since most her work seemed to focus on women and vampires. After a brief discussion about what I was looking for Nikkol suggested Supergirl or Power Girl, since they both wore red, white and blue. I agreed to a Power Girl sketch and handed over an appropriate Marilyn Monroe FDC. When I picked up the cover I was greatly impressed, Power Girl was wearing Uncle Sam's hat and gesturing like the old man himself! More than I expected.

I also picked up Nikkol's book from PLB Comics - The Art of Nikkol Jelenic which features several short stories and variant cover Nikkol has done for PLB - Vegas, Baby, Vegas, (written by Josh Shockley), Fatal Fortune (written by Josh Shockley) and A Tale of Autumn (written by James Dufendach) and Voodoo Child (written by Josh Shockley).

From the back page: "As far as a medium of entertainment, comic books are one of my most favorite to indulge in. Being both a fan and creator, I have taken what I love in the writing and art from the books I collect and allowed it to shape my own work...."

Uncle Sam (U.S.) came into use during
the War of 1812 and is believed to be taken from Samuel Wilson, a
meat packer from Troy, NY, who provided supplies to the soldiers.
Wilson’s packages had the initials E.A. – U.S., where the E.A.
stood for Elbert Anderson the contractor for the shipment, the U.S.
stood for the United States. However it is said that soldiers would
started saying the packages came from Uncle Sam. In the 1850’s the
term Uncle Sam had taken more meaning towards the United States
itself. It was James Montgomery Falgg who would envision Uncle Sam in
the famous “I Want You” recruitment poster of 1916.

There are memorials for Uncle Sam
located in Troy, NY and in Arlington, Ma

Troy, NY claims to be the hometown of
Uncle Sam. I picked up this Uncle Sam postcard in the RPI bookstore.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Dan O'Connor has worked in, under and out of the comic book field since 1990, after attending the Joe Kubert School and learning under the tutelage of such Golden Age Luminaries as Tex Blaisdell, Hy Eisman and Irwin Hasen, as well as a several-year hitch assisting mainstream artist and inker Bob McLoed.

From the science fiction Ironstar to Tru-crime adaptations -Comic Zone's Psycho Killers series, humor and gag strips, the Lehigh Valley Art Council Newsletter strip still running since 2001, Dan's artwork has been in the most obscure chapbooks and magazine - The Adventures of Flint Perry, the Human Sub - to mainstream prominence - Kong: King of Skull Island, a prequel adaptation sanctioned by the Merian C. Cooper Estate, published by Markosia Comics 2007...

An adaptation of the title Kong: King of Skull Island was first published by DH Press (Dark Horse Comics) in 2004

King Kong was released in 1933 by RKO who created comic strips published in newspapers leading up to the film's release.

Gold Key Comics released a comic adaptation n 1968 drawn by Alberto Giolitti and George Wilson.

Monster Comics, Fantagraphics Books produced a six-issue book in 1991, based on the 1932 novelization by Delos W. Lovelace, not on the movie...

King Kong's popularity has seen him appear in many publications and parodies...

Included with my purchase of Kong was a sketch card of an Archaeopteryx

The drawing by O'Connor is on a Max Steiner FDC, honoring American Composers, who composed music for movies and theatre productions most notably King Kong, Gone With the Wind, Little Women and Casablanca...

King Kong has also be honored by his own stamp releases by New Zealand, 2005.10.19, featuring photos from the 2005 movie. Canada honored Fay Wray with Kong climbing the Empire State building in the background in 2006. Kong was also honored by Guinea, Sierra Leone and Sao Tome e Principe...

During the 1970s I came across this postcard in Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine of a King Kong promotional postcard...

Then in 1983 Linn's Stamp News ran an article written by Jim Czyl discusses the cinderella stamp promoting the 1933 release of King Kong. The stamps were produced by RKO and exist with red frames and black photo centers, with the design taken from North Borneo stamps of 1931. The stamps appeared to be issued from the Kingdom of Skull Island. Two types of postcards were produced, with the same stamp design but different color designs, either a black frame with red center or with an orange frame and black center. The reverse of the postcards feature a promotional photo of Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong, stars of King Kong...

Friday, November 2, 2012

Chris Campana is a self-taught artist whose credits include work for Caliber Comics, 5th Panel, Mindscape, Intrepid and Yvette Avenue and Metaverse. Chris has also done storyboards for commericals and video game design. His work is influenced by Frank Frazetta, John Romita, Sal Buscema and Alfredo Acala...

Along with Mike Radosti, writer, co-plotter and Rob Wybraniec, colorist, they have created the comic Kantara a fantasy story that involves sorcery, creatures, dragons, an evil Lord and the search for a magical book... I had read in a review that Campana, Radosti and Wybraniec drew comic fans to their table with their enthusiasm, and I realized that was on of the things that won me over. The art and story are great, but their belief in what they are producing really helps to sell the book. Matt and I had stopped at another table and Matt later said the these guys looked scared that we wouldn't like their comic. Yeah, that came through as we did not pick up their book. Best of luck...

It began with Entalon. The Dragons came, and they taught the people. To each of the chieftains, they gave a magical gift...

About Me

I have been a collector as far back as I can remember. Stamps, covers, autographs, baseball cards, comic books, coins, political buttons, sports memorabilia, space stamps and covers, and the list goes on.
This blog was set up to be able to share a small part of my collection with anyone who shares the interest.